FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Defense Logistics Agency Energy is helping the Army increase its energy efficiency while saving taxpayer dollars through a series of recently awarded performance-based contracts.
The Army is planning to execute $800 million in alternatively financed energy efficiency projects over the next two years through either energy savings performance contracts or utility energy services contracts.
DLA Energy has worked closely with the Army on a number of energy efficiency projects throughout the years, and DLA Energy Installation Energy Director Pam Griffith said her organization helped award the energy savings performance contracts that are part of the new business.
Energy savings performance contracts require energy service companies to install and finance projects that increase customers’ energy efficiency and water conservation at no direct cost to the customers, said Cindy Obermeyer, a contracting officer with DLA Energy Installation Energy.
“As part of the requirement, the energy service company identifies improvements that will save energy and related operations and maintenance costs for a federal agency customer, such as an Army installation,” Obermeyer said. “The energy service company guarantees that the energy improvements proposed will result in a specified level of annual energy-cost savings to the federal agency or installation customer.”
Obermeyer said that the savings from an energy savings performance contract are guaranteed to be enough to let a customer pay the energy service company for its work over the term of the contract, which will not exceed 25 years.
“The Energy Savings Performance Contract branch has awarded more than $430 million in energy savings contracts for the Defense Department, primarily for the Army,” said Obermeyer. “Personally, I don't believe that we have even scratched the surface on the use and benefits of energy savings performance contracts.”
Many, if not most, existing facilities were built prior to today’s increased awareness of the need for energy efficiency, said Obermeyer. “There is a lot of work yet to do at the installations, and while notable progress has been made to date, we have a long way to go,” she added.
Griffith said she thinks the use of energy savings performance contracts will grow as more people become aware of their benefits in meeting energy goals.
“We have multiple energy savings performance contracts initiatives in the pipeline in support of the Army, Air Force and Defense Commissary Agency,” Griffith said. “The word is getting out to the services and federal agencies about DLA Energy, and Installation Energy in particular, so we expect to see additional requirements from customers.
Obermeyer stated the staff at DLA Energy Installation Energy is passionate about the work they do to increase energy efficiency and water conservation.
“That passion helps us turn an installation’s energy conservation requirements into reality, it’s what our team does best,” she said.
As a Department of Defense combat support agency, DLA provides the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services. The agency sources and provides nearly 100 percent of the consumable items America’s military forces need to operate, from food, fuel and energy, to uniforms, medical supplies, and construction and barrier equipment. DLA also supplies more than 80 percent of the military’s spare parts.
Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., DLA has about 27,000 employees worldwide and supports more than 2,178 weapon systems. For more information about DLA, go to www.dla.mil, www.facebook.com/dla.mil or http://twitter.com/dlamil.
- 30 -
Editor’s Note: Article written by Susan Lowe, a public affairs specialist in the DLA Energy Public Affairs Office.